Majority in NC Support Charter and Private Schools

More than half of North Carolina voters support policies that would increase student access to private and charter schools, according to a new poll released by the Friedman Foundation.  The “North Carolina K-12 & School Choice Survey” found 65 percent of voters support charter schools and tax-credit scholarships for private schools. Education savings accounts were also supported by 56 percent of polled voters.   Conducted by Braun Research, Inc., the statewide survey includes 601 landline and cell phone interviews completed June 18-24, with a margin of sampling error of ± 4.0 percentage points.  Charter schools, which constitute fewer than 3 percent of all North Carolina public schools, are exempt from many regulations placed on traditional public schools. Recent passage of legislation to remove the state-imposed cap on the availability of charter schools is leading to an increase in that number.  Education savings accounts are financed directly by the state and allow parents to pay for private school tuition, online learning programs, tutors, or future college expenses. Currently, North Carolina’s only private school choice program is a non-refundable tax credit of up to $6,000 available to parents of special-needs children.